Sony Officially Announces the Alpha 7 Mark II in the US

Last week we wrote about Sony's quiet launch of their new Alpha series ILC, the A7 Mark II. Today, they have officially released the camera into the US market. Since we know all about the camera already, the only additional information this announcement offers is the US pricing and availability of the A7 Mark II, along with details about three new A-mount lenses.

The new lenses include the 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G SSMII telephoto zoom lens, the Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm f/2.8 ZA SSMII, and the Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm f/2.8 ZA. More details on these lenses can be found in the official press release from Sony below.

The full-frame Alpha 7 Mark II will be offered in body only and kit forms, with the MSRP at about the same level as the original A7's at announcement. Starting on December 9th of this year, you can get the body only for $1700, or the kit which includes the FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS zoom lens (model SEL2870) for $2000.

The
new mirrorless interchangeable lens camera is the world's first
full-frame camera to feature 5-axis image stabilization1,
allowing it to compensate for camera movement in five different
directions to produce extremely sharp handheld images.

"The
new α7II is simply the latest example of
the impressive innovation we're bringing to the industry,
particularly in the mirrorless space" said Neal Manowitz, director
of the α interchangeable lens camera
business at Sony. "We're continuing to push the boundaries of
what can be accomplished with a full-frame sensor, consistently
delivering 'world's first' technologies that no other cameras -
DSLR or otherwise - can accomplish."

New
Image Stabilization Technology

The
innovative 5-axis image stabilization on the new α7II
detects and corrects camera shake along five axes during shooting,
including angular shake (pitch and yaw) that tends to occur with a
telephoto lens, shift shake (X and Y axes) which becomes noticeable
as magnification increases, and rotational shake (roll) that often
affects shots at night or when recording video. The 24.3 MP full
frame sensor moves to accommodate all of these types of shake, with
stabilization equivalent to up to 4.5 steps faster shutter speed of
correction2.

Additionally,
the 5-axis stabilization works cooperatively with Sony α lenses with
optical steady shot (OSS) to provide maximum stabilization and
clarity, while also performing admirably with Sony α A-mount lenses
and third party lenses3
without on-board stabilization. Effects of the stabilization can be
previewed via live-view on the LCD or OLED viewfinder of the camera.

Speedy,
Accurate Autofocus with Hybrid AF

The
new α7II employs a 117-point focal
plane phase detection AF sensor with 25 contrast detection AF points,
with approximately 30% faster AF responsiveness and 1.5 times more
accurate subject tracking than the original α7
model4thanks to a series of new algorithms for detecting subject
distance and predicting motion. Additionally, AF and now automatic
exposure (AE) is provided while tracking subjects during high-speed
continuous shooting at up to 5 fps.

Enriched
HD Video Functionality

The
new full-frame camera shares the powerful BIONZ X image processing
engine with several other high-end Sony cameras, and adds a variety
of advanced video functionality including the addition of XAVC S5
codec, which records video at a high data rate of 50 Mbps with
advanced compression for impressive video quality.

For
the professional and prosumer customers, the α7II
adds picture profiles for convenient in-camera tone adjustments and
supports the S-Log2 gamma function which preserves a wide dynamic
range. It also includes Time Code (useful for editing), Rec Control
(for synced recording with external recorder) and dual video
recording.

Design,
Controls, Wi-Fi® and New Accessories

Ergonomically,
compared to the original α7, the α7II model has a larger
shutter button that has been moved closer to the front of the camera
for optimal finger position. It is constructed with sturdy magnesium
alloy on the top, front cover and internal panels for a sturdier,
more solid feel in the hand, and boasts about a 40% faster start-up
time compared to the α7 camera.

The
new α7II camera is Wi-Fi®
and NFC compatible and fully functional with Sony's PlayMemories
application available for Android™
and iOS platforms. New accessories designed for use with the new
α7II include the VG-C2EM vertical grip and
LCS-ELCB soft carrying case.

New
α A-mount 70-300mm F4.5 -
F5.6 G SSMII Telephoto Zoom Lens

Sony has also
introduced a new telephoto zoom lens for it's α
A-mount line, the 70-300mm F4.5 - F5.6 G SSMII (model SAL70300G2).
Ideal for outdoor sports and wildlife photography as well as tightly
cropped portraits, the lens features approximately 4x faster AF
tracking than the current lens model 70-300mm F4.5 - F5.6 G SSM.
It also has Nano AR coating to minimize flare and ghosting and
improve rendering, and is dust and moisture resistant.

Sony has also
announced the development of the α A-mount Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm
F2.8 ZA SSMII and the Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSMII lenses.
The second generation of these acclaimed lenses will improve upon the
speed of AF tracking, reduce flare and ghosting and incorporate a
dust and moisture resistant design.

Pricing
and Availability

The
Sony α7II full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera
will be available beginning on December 9th as body-only
for about $1700, or as a kit with the FE 28-70mm
F3.5 - F5.6 OSS zoom lens (model SEL2870) for about $2000.

The
new 70-300mm F4.5 - F5.6 G SSMII
telephoto zoom lens for α A-mount cameras will be available
for about $1150 in February 2015.